The NBA has seen a significant number of injuries early in the 2023-24 season, raising questions about the league’s approach to player conditioning and preservation over the course of the demanding 82-game schedule.

Among the injured players are notable names such as Tyrese Haliburton, Ja Morant, and Nic Claxton, all dealing with hamstring strains, alongside Tobias Harris with a calf injury, and others coping with more severe ailments like plantar fascia tears and ligament damage. Additionally, players including Jalen Williams, Anthony Edwards, Kawhi Leonard, and Ben Simmons have been sidelined with serious knee, ankle, and Achilles-related injuries, contributing to a mounting list of concerns less than two weeks into the campaign.

This surge in physical setbacks has sparked discussion about the shifts in training and preparation methods in recent years. Historically, NBA training camps were intense, featuring twice-daily workouts and a higher number of preseason games—up to eight in some seasons—allowing athletes to build conditioning and on-court readiness in competitive settings before the regular season began. However, changes influenced by the NBA Players Association have led to a significant reduction in preseason games, with some teams playing as few as three. Many franchises also limit the participation of star players in these exhibitions to protect their health, meaning many top players enter the regular season with minimal game reps.

While modern players maintain year-round fitness, experts and coaches note that the specific demands of an NBA game—particularly its speed and physical intensity—cannot be fully replicated in training sessions or limited preseason contests. This gap between offseason conditioning and game-readiness is believed to contribute to the prevalence of soft-tissue injuries seen early in the season.

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla defended the rigor of his team’s training camp, emphasizing the importance of physical and mental preparation in facing the length and grind of the season. “I trust our sports science team on a day-to-day basis, on a yearly basis,” Mazzulla said. He acknowledged that while other teams’ camps might be less demanding, Boston’s approach maintains a high intensity designed to foster resilience. “You’re trying to match it or make it harder than the year before. I think it’s an important month to have the mindset you need to have to begin the season.”

Players on the Celtics roster, such as Derrick White and Jayson Tatum, have praised the challenging nature of Mazzulla’s camp, suggesting that not all teams employ the same level of physical conditioning protocols.

The current environment raises broader questions about whether the league’s focus on preservation—reducing preseason activity and game load—might unintentionally increase injury risk by limiting the competitive reps crucial for durability. The balance between rest and rigorous preparation appears to remain a contentious issue as teams navigate health management amid a packed schedule.